Demons What pt 7
...and so Celeste and Serraphine manage to return to ther est of the crew unmolested. No horrible monsters are leaping out at anyone! Not even any sweettrolls.
Point is, they return safely.
"Well?" asks an irate crewman. He doesn't mean to sound irate, but he's clearly miserable and it's impacting his mood.
Felicia says, "Calm down. getting angry isn't going to help us any, and yelling might attract the demons." Felicia says as she warms her hands."
"Well, we're not dead," Celeste points out. "The caverns are empty for as far as we've explored. They might be entirely empty, but it's hard to say." She shrugs her shoulders dismissively. "Personally, I say we rest up, and then explore the caves for a way down. At least we'll be out of sight of hordes of flying demons."
Lucy has connected.
A frown, then again when isn't Serraphine frowning, as she takes in the points and nods her head in agreement with Celeste. "I like that idea, but I also say we should make sure to have guards posted at the front /and/ back for the night." She glances back into the caves, "We can't say there's nothing down there, and I'd rather not wake up to finding it breathing down our necks - if you know what I mean."
Malorn nods, "Hopefully we'll be able to fight whatever might be down in the mountain and get out. I guess it's better then facing out what's out there."
GAME: Whirlpool has awarded you 15 XP for being online!
"Why," Celeste inquires of Serraphine, "Because it'd have bitten our heads off in order to be breathing down our necks? I agree, that's best avoided. One guard at each end at all times during the night then, so we all get enough sleep. I'll take first watch." The barbarian tilts her head to one side until the bones crack; she turns her gaze to Malorn, and grins once again. "Oh, we'll be able to fight whatever is down there, most guaranteed," she points out. "What you're hoping is that we'll be able to *win*."
"...guess we're hunkering down, then," agree the various members of the airship crew. That said, they all begin to hunker down, talking to each other and seeming generally unhappy with the circumstances. Who can really blame them?
A nod of her head in agreement to Celeste, "Exactly. And I don't like things biting off my head, or breathing down my neck. Just too many awkward questions. Like.. Felicia, why are you looking at me like that and what are you doing next to me? Or... Sorry, what was your name again? They're all bad things to have to ask." Serraphine nods her head and starts off in the opposite direction of Celeste to take first watch on the opposite end.
Lucy calls last watch and hunkers down for rest. She takes up a place near the back of the cave, by the passage leading deeper into the mountain. She'd rather face whatever's down there (she's secretly hoping for giants) than the demon horde.
...hellspawns jump you in the middle of the night.
(Okay, not really. If anything, you hear lots of loud noises, thundery ones, that make it hard to sleep through the night, truthfuully.)
Still, you pass to the morning and everyone feels a lot better, if hungrier. Now you've got a choce ahead of you: avail yourself of the surface and try to navigate through the mountains or perhaps hope this cave can shortcut you somewhere.
"Oy, wot we gots as da plan?" The big Ork asks as he uses his tindertwig to light a torch. Waving it around slowly as he inspects the cave. "Not a bad cave, had a few of these like this back home. 'Course we killed and ate the old owners. Except the Ogres, ogres taste right like sheit." He chortles deep in his chest and grins. "Owever, big badgers and stuff, good eats." Baz peers around and tilts his head as he listens. "Sounds like the fun is outside though."
GAME: Serraphine rolls knowledge/religion: (20)+7: 27
GAME: Serraphine rolls Heal: (8)+1: 9
None of them end well.
GAME: Felicia rolls heal: (20)+10: 30
Serraphine cooks up some of the demon, and munches it for some breakfast. Mmmm, cripy demon, if only there was an orange sauce to go with it.
Felicia says, "No. No eating demons. It'll probably kill us." She then sighs. "We do need to find a bit of edible food, Fi.""
GAME: Baz da Ork rolls knowledge/religion: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Baz da Ork rolls heal: (3)+7: 10
IT smells horrible.
The demon that is.
Like really horrible.
"Dat bit there, that's the head right?" Baz points at the demon Serraphine is working on, the toes on the limb his finger is jutting at kind of answers the question yet he seems completely earnest in asking it. Then of course he manages to step into the pot fire that the demon is cooked over. "Awww shite!" He hops a few feet off on one of his as he rubs the other. Leaning against the cold stone floor as his expert cullinary skills are shown for all.
"It probably won't kill me." Serraphine says as she rotates it again over the fire, "But, hey, when we find food - one less person to feed!" She pulls it off of the fire for a moment and takes a bite.
Malorn looks to the others who want to eat demon and he shakes his head, "If someone would like to come with me I can see if I can find some edible mushrooms."
"Well I guess I could go, I need ta walk off me foot pain now." He looks down at the charing on his boot. Then shrugs and moves over to accompany Malorn. "So how do we find edible mushrooms? Is that a special kind? I usually just fork dem in my mouth. If'n I don't puke them right back up des good."
Felicia says, "Fi.....no. Please...no." She then sighs...she knows how stubbon Fi is."
Lucy has disconnected.
Crunch-munch-munch-munch, "You know." munch-munch-munch, "It tastes exactly, not at all, like Chicken." A nod and more chewing before she tries to swallow the first bite.
GAME: Baz da Ork rolls Survival: (20)+5: 25
Malorn looks over towards Baz who wants to go with him and nods, "All right we won't go too far." He says as he starts to head out, "You can tell by color and shape. Although you have to be careful some look very close."
GAME: Malorn rolls survival: (19)+3: 22
st YEah
Good news, everyone!
It takes a couple hours, but after some searching through the tunnels, Baz and Malorn are able to locate a substantial amount of mushrooms in a tunnel branch where they seem to be growing quite handily. 5r
In fqact, that whole area is SO FULL of mushrooms you'll have food enough for nearly everyone for today.
That's great.
They're even able to return easily.
Everyone is fairly grateful, if cautious, to have a chance to eat something and water-creation spells are at least ekeeping everyone hydrated. Things are looking up!
Serraphine nods her head and eats more demon off the bone, best not chicken ever.
Baz da Ork just looked at you.
Lucy has connected.
The big Ork watches Serraphine once he finishes handing off the armfulls of mushrooms he brought with Malorn. Those black little eyes squinting at her. "You sure your not a bit Oruch are ya?" He grins then, his capped tusks glinting in the torch light. "Not that it isn't attractive ta see a woman ravening her enemy, just hope ya don't end up leaving a trail dey can follow when it gets your squishy bits to tighten up, ya? Hah!"
Felicia says, "I'm more hoping she doesn't get sick. if she does.....we're gonna have to care for her too.....""
Serraphine stares back at Baz, stares, "I don't like mushrooms." She raises the meat on a bone/stick, "They're too earthy." And she takes a bit bite of the demon flesh. Mmmm, repulsive. It's just a matter of pride now, with her eyes watering from the stench that invades every flavor of her meal. "That and then the others can have more." she says, trying not to talk too much before swallowing the not chicken.
Malorn fills up on mushrooms and water. He mediates as the others rest and he gets up to do some katas. He looks to the others, "So are we going back top side or are we seeing if we can go through the caves and find a way."
Felicia eats mushrooms and water as well......while keeping an eye on Serraphine....
(New BB message (10/267) posted to 'RPP Awards' by Job Tracker: A: Hun'rar: Sleeping Pallies)
(New BB message (10/267) posted to 'RPP Awards' by Job Tracker: A: Hun'rar: Sleeping Pallies)
"Right." Baz says. "Wot I want to do is go outside and fight, but dat don't seem like it would get the job done. I don't wanna fail ta bring dat stick back if we can. Dese demons ain't going anywhere, I can come back and kill dem all laters, right?" He glances off into the darkness of the cave. "Wot say we start moving, right? See if we can get down dis way?"
Lucy activates her Ioun torch and waits for Baz to get far enough ahead before following. "Come on," she urges the crew. "It'll be better this way. You'll see. We're better off down here than we were out there, half freezing and in constant danger of a wave of demons washing over us from any direction. Or from the air."
Eventually, everyone is gathered up and you begin the process of exploring the caves. Mapping is not easy, and these are twisty mazes of pssages that are not at all alike, but there's a LOT of them, damn it.
Windy, twist ing mushroom filled caves, windy twisty stalactite filled caves, windy twisty empty, sparse caves...
You could really easily get lost in here.
GAME: Malorn rolls survival: (20)+3: 23
GAME: Baz da Ork rolls Survival: (17)+5: 22
GAME: Felicia rolls survival: (12)+3: 15
GAME: Lucy rolls survival: (11)+2: 13
GAME: Celeste rolls survival: (6)+8: 14
GAME: Serraphine rolls survival: (20)+1: 21
...so far, you have managed to keep yourselves from getting lost, yes, and even feel like you're moving 'deeper' into the mountain.
Fi kept the demon on a stick-bone for a bit longer, with another few big (and fast) bites before she tosses it off to the side to be left behind them deep in the caves. She looks toward the others, and finally at the walls, a hand running along them and she nods her head. The arvek turns her gaze toward Felicia, grumbling out, "We're still not going the direction you want. But I think we're going the right way still."
Malorn looks around as they start out, "So we are going deeper but climbing. I believe this is the right direction." He looks to Baz da Ork and Serraphine, "What do you two think?"
"Nothing to do but keep moving." Celeste is keeping to the forefront, with her shield strapped to her arm just in case. Juuuuust in case. She glares into the darkness, orcish eyes glinting in the dim light, and she occasionally snarls menacingly at skittering rocks or the groans of the mountain. "I trust we are going the right way?" she asks, of nobody in particular.
"Dis gets us over the ridge, er through and over I tink." He scratches his throat with his right hand. "Could use a Dwarf about now." He grumbles and shakes his head. "May as well keep going, at least moving dere's less to think about. Sides, we still gots a few more hours afore we can rest. Anything that checks the cave won't 'ave ta go far to hear and smell us like this. We need more distance afore we can be safe from be'in found so easily."
Lucy creeps along with the bulk of the crew. She tried to give those with darkvision plenty of room so that her light doesn't spoil their ability. She trusts those in the lead to, well, lead, while she herself keeps more of her attention on the passages behind them. "No signs of any pursuit - yet," she reports in a whisper.
Serraphine sticks to the back because, well, it pays to have one person in front and one in back with darkvision (that can fight up close and personal). She has the rod in one hand, the other holding her sword. She gives a little grimace, but then again she's always grimacing. So there's no real surprise there.
Felicia stays with the crew. They are her charge after all. Also, she has no ide where they're going.
GAME: Felicia rolls heal: (3)+10: 13
Malorn looks around as he keeps his guard up and he looks back to make sure others are keeping up with the rest of them.
Felicia takes a deep breath and rubs her face as she looks over some of the crewmen....and she shakes her head. "Fi.....Some of the crew are getting sick. It's stress sickness.....and this is what I was worried about."
There's dissent from the crew. As Fi speaks, they seem to be declaring their fitness. A closer inspection shows that the wear, tear and trauma is starting to wear on them.
And just qabout then is when you break into another cavern. This one is FILLED with mushrooms. HUGE ones.
It's like a shroom forest in here.
A nod of her head as she looks to Felicia, a deeper furrow to her brow, a murmur, "I had hoped that it would be the claustrophobia that would set in before the stress. We have nothing to do about it but to get to safety to relieve them of it." She looks to the left and right and then to the rest - captain included, "We will get through this though, we'll get out of this place, and the mountains beyond. They will hail us for bringing this back." She brandishes the rod.
Lucy gives the cree a
"Dey just need a marching song. Right?" Baz declares raising his arms out stretched. He turns and starts singing in his raspy baritone as he marches along. "We're gonna march all day, all day, all day. Left right, Left right, Left right, where there's a whip there's a wa...." He pauses as they crest the next cave and he sees the giant mushrooms. There's a pause from him as he squints one eye and peers about. "Were dem mushrooms good? Cause now all I can see is more mushrooms."
Lucy gives the cree a
Felicia says, "Less about the glory and more about getting the crew back safely, Fi.""
Lucy gives the crew a dubious look. 'Stress sickness?' she thinks. Welcome to our world. But then she turns towards the mushrooms. "That looks odd. Is that. krmal
Malorn looks around as he sees the huge mushrooms, "Be careful I wouldn't touch any of them." He says as he looks back over towards the crew. "Stay away from all the mushrooms that you can."
GAME: Serraphine rolls Diplomacy: (6)+7: 13
Celeste grumbles audibly, grinding teeth against tusk. "Finally find something that looks like it might be worth eating, and we can't eat it," she growls. "Well to the goddamn hells with that." She tilts her head and spits off to the side, leaving a little glistening glob on the stone. "We cannot rest here, then. Let's get moving."
Serraphine looks to Felicia, a thin-lipped expression, "Felicia." She says in a quiet voice, "Getting back safely is what they expect, it's what we've sworn and what will happen. Why promise them the minimum, when we can give them a greater hope than simply returning? But instead returning as heroes." A nod of her head.
GAME: Baz da Ork rolls perception: (12)+3: 15
GAME: Celeste rolls perception: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Serraphine rolls Perception: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Malorn rolls perception: (18)+13: 31
GAME: Felicia rolls perception: (20)+3: 23
Felicia notices something and Felicia actually hits Serraphine on the shoulder. "Company." She says looking to the side...towards the mushrooms. "Some of them are moving."
Serraphine is glad she already has her sword out as she mutters, "Get the crew toward the center, tell the others. Form a ring. Keep them safe."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Whirlpool has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Whirlpool to instruct you further.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 19.
It is now Felicia's turn! Mushroom Man 3 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 18.
It is now Mushroom Man 3's turn! Mushroom Man 2 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d5: (4): 4
GAME: Felicia casts Bless. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (8)+6: 14
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 10.
It is now Mushroom Man 2's turn! MUSHROOM MAN 1 is next!
Felicia gets closer to the crew and mumbles. "Maiden of battle, we desparately need your helpto protect these people....."
GAME: Whirlpool reverses the initiative order.
Round One - Init 18.
It is now Mushroom Man 3's turn! Mushroom Man 2 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool reverses the initiative order.
Round One - Init 19.
It is now Lucy's turn! Mushroom Man 3 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool reverses the initiative order.
Round One - Init 19.
It is now Felicia's turn! Lucy is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 19.
It is now Lucy's turn! Mushroom Man 3 is next!
GAME: Lucy rolls ranged+1+1: (15)+9+1+1: 26
GAME: Lucy rolls 1d4+1+1+5: (2)+1+1+5: 9
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 18.
It is now Mushroom Man 3's turn! Mushroom Man 2 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 10.
It is now Mushroom Man 2's turn! MUSHROOM MAN 1 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (2)+6: 8
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 8.
It is now MUSHROOM MAN 1's turn! Malorn is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6+3: (5)+3: 8
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d5: (3): 3
Lucy takes up a spot facing the mushroom, but with her back to the crew. "You'll have to go through us first!" She can't be sure the strange creatures even understand her, which is why sets her feet and then lets fly with her trusty spear. Actions speak better than words sometimes.
Mushroo men.
That'sa about the only way to describe them. They're definitely made up of mushrooms, but more in the shape of a rotund human. Their bodies are like.. thousands of mushrooms compressed, congealed together into a single, rolling mass. They reach towards Malorn, Celeste and Lucy with outstretched fibrous claws to scratch at htem, purple splotches oozing some kind of horrible substance as they do.
They're making sounds like laughter.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 8.
It is now Malorn's turn! Serraphine is next!
GAME: Malorn rolls fort: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Malorn rolls 1d20+8: (20)+8: 28
GAME: Malorn rolls 1d20+8: (2)+8: 10
GAME: Malorn rolls 1d20+8: (12)+8: 20
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 6.
It is now Serraphine's turn! Celeste is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed ended.
GAME: Malorn rolls 2d8+6: (9)+6: 15
GAME: Serraphine rolls weapon6 +4 -1: (9)+0+4+-1: 12
Malorn gets clawed at by the mushroom and he returns with a straight punch. He strikes true and hard, but his fist goes in deep. He tries to follow up with a second strike, but it glances off the mushroom.
GAME: Serraphine rolls weapon1 +4 -1: (15)+6+4+-1: 24
GAME: Serraphine rolls 1d10+2+2: (5)+2+2: 9
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 6.
It is now Celeste's turn! Baz da Ork is next!
GAME: Celeste RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 6 temporary HP
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d20+10: (12)+10: 22
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d20+5: (14)+5: 19
The rod in one hand, the long sword in the other she points toward the one that attacked Lucy. "YOU!" She calls out and charges toward it, thundering over in her fullplate. She brings the sword up in an arc, catching the spongy thing in her upward swing with the bastard sword as she lets out a chuckle. "Fight me!" She smiles thinly.
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d10+10: (5)+10: 15
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d4+10: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d4+5: (4)+5: 9
Felicia has reconnected.
As the mushroom men come closing in, a low rumble begins in Celeste's throat, quickly amplifying into a snarling, vicious roar. "KILL YOU ALL!!" the berzerker howls, drawing sword from scabbard and leaping forwards, getting right into the personal space of the ambulatory fungus that dared scratch at her. She plows straight into it with her shield, burrying the spiked bulwark deep enough that a spray of... ichor, or whatever the mushroom has that passes for blood, shoots out around the metal disk. "NOW YOU DIE!!" screams the half-oruch, rather prophetically, as she continues her momentum and burries her sword straight into the creature's... vital-ish area. Just to make sure, she sinks her teeth in deep two, ripping loose a large chunk that she spits out to the side, while the fungoid being slumps off her sword and sprawls out motionless on the cave floor before her.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 3.
It is now Baz da Ork's turn! Felicia is next!
GAME: Baz da Ork rolls 1d20+7+1+2: (3)+7+1+2: 13
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 19.
It is now Felicia's turn! Lucy is next!
GAME: Felicia rolls 1d20+3+3: (10)+3+3: 16
The big Ork roars his battle cry as he dashes towards the enemy, flanking the one Serraphine fights he raises his huge curved blade up with both hands and sends it crashing down. Where it promptly slides off the creature's odd rubbery hide and bounces tip first off the floor.
GAME: Felicia rolls 1d8+3: (8)+3: 11
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 19.
It is now Lucy's turn! Mushroom Man 3 is next!
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1: (15)+12+1: 28 (THREAT)
GAME: Lucy rolls weapon3+1: (17)+12+1: 30 (THREAT)
Staying close to the crew, Felicia brings out a force lance and starts making it stab one of the mushroom men.....
GAME: Lucy rolls 2d4+19: (6)+19: 25
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 18.
It is now Mushroom Man 3's turn! Mushroom Man 2 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (20)+6: 26
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (17)+6: 23
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+6: (7)+6: 13
The cr eatures seem heedless of their losses in number.
With two of them having been struck down, the third simply lashes out against Malorn once more, scouring a resounding strike that leaves him bloodied badly.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 10.
It is now Mushroom Man 2's turn! MUSHROOM MAN 1 is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 8.
It is now MUSHROOM MAN 1's turn! Malorn is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 8.
It is now Malorn's turn! Serraphine is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 6.
It is now Serraphine's turn! Celeste is next!
GAME: Serraphine rolls weapon1 +4 -1: (8)+6+4+-1: 17
GAME: Serraphine rolls 1d10+2+2: (5)+2+2: 9
Lucy draws her rapier and lunges. Her strike pierces the mushroom man where a human's spine would be. The creature drops like a puppet with its strings cut. Yanking her blade back, she recovers from the lunge.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 6.
It is now Celeste's turn! Baz da Ork is next!
Serraphine sees Lucy just... Well, Lucy kills it after she sliced into it. "BAH!" She yells out as the Arvek shoulders passed the fallen muchroom and charges the next one, slicing down into it with her deft stroke of the long blade.
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d20+12: (2)+12: 14
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d20+12: (16)+12: 28
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d4+10: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Celeste rolls 1d4+5: (4)+5: 9
GAME: Celeste ends her rage.
GAME: Whirlpool removes the timestop.
The last mushroom standing might be feeling a bit abused already, but it ain't seen nothin' yet. "SHRED YOUR SORRY CARCASS AND EAT IT!" howls the raging berzerker, leaping from one target to the next. Lucy killed one, which was convenient; the one still standing bears the full brunt of snarling, murderous half-oruch. The barbarian's sword flashes a mite awkwardly through the air as she's closing, but her teeth find the mark, ripping off a chunk of... something. Her shield follows through, driving the spikes into the soft bits before she pushes hard, sending the fungus sprawling; and it does not get back up.